31 Oktober 2011

Turkey will become the first nation have the ability to receive information on the F-16 fighters’ software source codes -- primarily their weapons systems -- thereby enabling it to replace them with national software source codes whenever necessary. (photo : Turkey Air Force)

Turkey to rewrite software source codes of 204 F-16 fighters

The US administration agreed in principle almost two months ago for the transfer of information over software source codes of US Lockheed Martin-made F-16 fighters to Turkey.

Once the agreement is completed, and if approved by the US Congress, Turkey will have the capability to automatically modify the software source codes of the fighters’ weapons systems with national software source codes, said US sources who asked not to be named.Turkey will become the first nation among 26 to have the F-16s in their inventories and have the ability to receive information on the F-16 fighters’ software source codes -- primarily their weapons systems -- thereby enabling it to replace them with national software source codes whenever necessary.

Once Turkey and the US complete around 50 pages of technical details over the nature of the US transfer of technology, an agreement should be signed, pending US congressional approval.

The US Congress has long prevented arms transfers to NATO member Turkey, mainly in reaction to its strained ties with Israel.

However, the US administration has as of late sought US congressional authorization for the sale of three AH-1W Super Cobra attack helicopters to Turkey. This indicates a softening on the part of the congress toward Turkey.

Turkey has a long-standing request for Super Cobras. It has a shortage of these helicopters, required in its ongoing fight against the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) terrorists, who have increased their violent attacks as of late.

Meanwhile, it is not clear whether the US administration will seek US congressional authorization for another long-standing Turkish request for the sale of four Predator unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and two armed Reaper UAVs.

However, some of the weapons, including Predators that the US reportedly pledged to transfer to Turkey as it withdraws from Iraq in December of this year, are said to not be subject to the approval of the US Congress. These are weapons the US used during its war in Iraq.

Missile defense link

US sources stated that Washington has agreed in principle to transfer the information mainly concerning the weapon systems of the F-16s so that Turkey can integrate by itself the national software source codes because Turkey has pursued a very persistent policy on the matter.

However, Turkey’s approval to deploy a radar system of the US-supported NATO Missile Defense System on its soil is understood to have played an important role in Washington’s agreement to in principle transfer the software source codes of mainly the weapons systems of the F-16s to Turkey.

Turkey agreed last month to host a powerful US-supplied radar system to act as advanced eyes for a layered shield against ballistic missiles coming from outside Europe.

The AN/TPY-2 surveillance radar in Turkey will boost the shield’s capability against Iran, which Washington alleges is seeking to build nuclear weapons, a charge Tehran denies.

“By agreeing to transfer information on F-16 weapon systems so that Turkey could automatically integrate them with national software source codes, the US sought to ease tensions with its NATO ally, which is important in safeguarding US interests in the Middle East. The US also puts strong emphasis on seeing Turkish-Israeli relations normalize,” said the US source.

50 weapons systems on each F-16

Lockheed Martin this year began supplying Turkey with 14 F-16C variants and 16 F-16Ds under a deal signed in May 2007. The total cost of 30 additional F-16s to Turkey is $1.78 billion.

Under a separate agreement signed in April 2005 between Turkey and the US, 213 Turkish F-16s are being upgraded at a cost of $1.1 billion at the Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) in Ankara. Turkey will be able to change the software source codes of the weapons systems on a total of 204 F-16s with national software source codes if a final agreement is reached with the US.

There are 50 different types of weapons systems on each F-16 that are classified.

Perth: Australian Defence Ministry asked the government to approve a $100 million fleet of mine-detecting vehicles, which army experts say will all but neutralize threat of roadside bombs in Afghanistan. News of request came as Australia Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd Friday urged his Pakistan counterpart to stop illicit movement of locally made explosives material into Afghanistan, where it is used to make roadside bombs.

At a meeting on sidelines of Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Perth, Rudd told Pakistan Foreign Minister Ms Hina Rabbani Khar to take “all practical efforts” to restrict the movement of bomb-making materials across the border.

It is first time the issue of Pakistan-sourced explosives material has been raised at a senior ministerial level between the two countries.

Weekend Australian newspaper understands the request by Australian Defence Ministry for fast-tracked approval for mine-detecting vehicles will go to national security committee of cabinet in December.

Of 29 Australian soldiers killed in action in Afghanistan since 2001, IEDs — improvised explosive devices — have claimed lives of 14 and responsible for wounding a further 105. The explosives issue was raised during bilateral talks on counter-terrorism co-operation between Australia and Pakistan at CHOGM, a spokeswoman for Rudd said.

29 Oktober 2011

FORT WORTH, Texas -Australian government officials have begun auditing the F-35 program because of concerns that the first tranche of aircraft would not be delivered on schedule, Lockheed Martin officials confirmed.

The review, rare in Australian defense programs, could lead officials to defer the planned order for the first aircraft.

"A Scheduled Compliance Risk Assessment Methodology (SCRAM) team is here in response to the defense minister's undertaking last July to conduct a review of the Australian F-35 program," Keith Knotts, the company's F-35 business development manager for Australia and Canada, told Australian reporters at the jet's assembly plant here. "They will be here this week to assess the program's health."

It was the first public acknowledgment that the review is underway.

The SCRAM team, from the Australian Defence Materiel Organisation (DMO), will report its findings to the government via the New Air Combat Capability (NACC) project office by the end of the year. It will look at the F-35 program using root-cause analysis to measure the achievements of the technical baseline review ordered by the U.S. Joint Project Office.

Australia has a requirement for up to 100 conventional takeoff and landing F-35As, and plans to sign a deal for the first tranche of 14 in 2012. Under the current plan, it wants to take delivery of the first two aircraft in 2014 for training in the United States and delivery of all 14 to Australia in 2017.

The aircraft are scheduled to come from Low-Rate Initial Production lots Six (two aircraft), Eight (four) and Nine (eight). They will allow the F/A-18A/B Hornets to retire around 2018.

The review follows Defence Minister Stephen Smith's promise to launch an "exhaustive risk assessment of the schedule" by year's end.

In July, Smith told the Australian Broadcast Corp.'s "Meet The Press" program that he has concerns about Lockheed's ability to deliver to its planned schedule and has flagged the possibility of a further purchase of Super Hornets in the interim.

"I have made it clear, both in Australia and in the United States, that the last thing I will allow to occur will be a gap in capability," he said.

Australia has 24 F/A-18F Super Hornets and must decide whether to convert a number of them to an EA-18G Growler configuration early next year.

28 Oktober 2011

MANILA, Asia Pulse - Dornier Technology, a German-based aircraft manufacturer, would soon be producing a 25-seater amphibious seaplane following the expansion of their manufacturing facilities in Clark.The US$350-million state-of-the-art seaplane composite manufacturing facilities to rise in Clark would be generating hundreds of manpower requirements such as engineers, avionic technicians, airframe and mechanical staff, according to Dornier Technology Philippines owner Iren Dornier.

Dornier, also the chairman of Southeast Asian Airlines (Seair), said his business partners are very interested in the production of a 25-seater pressurized long range commercial airplane and may also be used as a cargo transport aircraft to remote areas such as isolated islands.

The plane could also be used for coast border patrol, anti-drug smuggling, special missions/operations or strictly for pipelines or areas submerged with water where helicopters are limited in range. It can also be utilized as firefighter plane where it could scoop thousands of gallons of water within seconds.

Dornier Seastar has 12 seats, meaning the new model will have double capacity compared to Seastar (photo : flightglobal)

He added that the airplane is capable of travelling a distance of approximately 2,000 nautical miles long-range endurance and be equipped with two Pratt &Whitney powered turbo propeller engines.

Their facilities in Clark is manufacturing a two-seater multi-purpose aircraft primarily designed to provide a training flat form to seaplane pilots who need trainings.

The S-Ray 007 single engine seaplane could be operated on both lands and sea with short takeoffs and capable of landing on runways or 2 feet seas.

The plane it said is ideal for surveillance missions, UAV missions (uninhabited air vehicles) that can be launched into a boat or carriers and can be transported into a container which flips it wings 90 degrees.

A RAF Eurofighter/Typhoon takes off in the early morning heat at RMAF Base Butterworth. (all photos : Aus DoD)

Eurofighter Typhoons from the Royal Air Force's 6 Sqn have joined aircraft from four other nations in Malaysia for exercise "Bersama Lima 2011".

A RAAF A30 Boeing 737 AEW&C returns to RMAF Base Butterworth after completing its tasking for the day.

The Royal Australian Air Force sent Boeing F/A-18A fighters and a 737-based Wedgetail airborne early warning and control system aircraft to participate in the manoeuvres that are being conducted from Butterworth air base in Penang.

Royal Malaysian Air Force involvement includes use of its F/A-18Ds and RSK-MiG-29s, while New Zealand and Singapore are also taking part.

A formation containing a Malaysian F/A-18D Hornet, a MIG 29 and an Australian F/A 18 Hornet fly over the Penang region of Malaysia, the flight was organized as a prelude flight to Bersama Lima 2011.

The UK is leading efforts to promote the Typhoon to Kuala Lumpur, which has identified a need to replace its MiG-29s that have become increasingly expensive to support.

The topic is likely to be high on the agenda at the Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace exhibition, which will take place in early December. Other candidates could include the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet.

The first two of 24 Sikorsky-Lockheed Martin MH-60R naval helicopters being acquired for the Royal Australian Navy under Air 9000 Phase 8 could be delivered as early as December 2013, according to Lockheed Martin.

Under Air 9000 Phase 8 the RAN requires delivery of its first MH-60R ‘Romeos’ from mid 2014, but Australia has requested early delivery of some of the aircraft. Consequently, under current planning the first two MH-60Rs will be delivered in December 2013, followed by seven in 2014, seven in 2015, and the last eight in 2016, according to George Barton, director of naval helicopter programs at Lockheed Martin’s MS2 business.

Lockheed Martin is hopeful an acquisition contract for the Australian Romeos will be signed by the end of this year, while a through life support contract will be signed in 2013. The acquisition contract will also incorporate a commitment that Lockheed Martin and Sikorsky place work with Australian industry under their respective Global Supply Chain agreements with the Australian government (Lockheed Martin signed its GSC with the Australian government last January, Sikorsky is expected to sign a GSC around the time of the Romeo acquisition contract). Then Australian Industry Capability work packages will be negotiated over a three month timeframe once the acquisition contract is signed.

“We’ve got an awful lot of work to do this year with regard to the Australian Air 9000 [Phase 8] program,” Barton told Australian journalists on October 27. “We just completed a through life support survey at Nowra, and we spent two weeks over there going through the facilities, a site survey meeting with the DMO reps fleshing out the details of exactly what they are going to want. We have a meeting here in November to discuss some of the development options, and then in December there is a scheduled program review with the US Navy and Australia. So a lot of work is going to be ongoing between the two teams and industry will be supporting those.”

Meanwhile, production of the Romeo at Sikorsky’s Stratford, Connecticut, and Lockheed Martin’s Owego, New York plants, is continuing apace, with aircraft currently being delivered to the US Navy at a rate of approximately three per month. The 100th Romeo for the US Navy was delivered mid this year, while a new multiyear contract to take production for the US Navy through to 2018 is expected to be signed in the December-January timeframe. The helicopter is also currently being marketed to Denmark, South Korea and Qatar.

27 Oktober 2011

In a seminar today at the Seoul Air Show, South Korean government officials outlined the strategy and plans for the KF-X, a twin-engined stealth fighter with a design goal of achieving manoeuvrability, speed and range performance between a Lockheed Martin F-16 and a Boeing F-15.

South Korea wants to develop the KF-X over the next nine years, with mass production beginning after 2020. Indonesia has already joined the programme, and talks with Turkey are continuing.

If developing an all-new stealth fighter is not enough of a challenge, South Korea also intends to equip the KF-X with a set of all-new weapons, including indigenous missiles in the Raytheon AIM-9 Sidewinder and AIM-120 AMRAAM class, guided bombs and an anti-ship missile. South Korean officials have released a development budget estimate of about US$5 billion, which seems (wildly?) optimistic.

KF-X has previously been pictured with canards, but that concept was nowhere in today's presenations. Instead, the KF-X appears to have morphed into a more conventional fighter. It appears similar a two-engine variant of the Lockheed F-35. This is Korea's vision for the KF-X. Eurofighter presented an alternative vision of KF-X, which I will present later.

Tucked into a corner of the Samsung Thales exhibit booth was a small room labeled "Next Generation Aircraft Display". Inside was a demonstration cockpit, and a clue to one of the key pieces of South Korea's indigenous K-FX stealth fighter.

An attendant who spoke only slightly more English than we can speak Korean seemed to express that this was a new KF-16 cockpit. But the image on the large area display showing a fighter with canards and a canted tail gave the secret away. This was the locally developed cockpit concept for the fighter South Korea hopes to develop by 2020.

If Indonesia chooses Turkey’s bid, SSM will build two submarines at the Gölcük naval shipyard with an HDW license. (photo : Hurriyet)

Turkish procurement officials have denied a South Korean claim that the Korean Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine has defeated a joint bid by Germany and Turkey to sell submarines to the Indonesian Navy.

‘’We are constantly in touch with Indonesian authorities. Together with Germany, we will soon submit an offer outlining our final offer with very favorable conditions. Indonesia is waiting for that,’’ a procurement official told the Hürriyet Daily News recently on condition of anonymity.

‘’In addition, Germany’s Howaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft [HDW] is our full partner and is the builder of the HDW-class 209 submarines that Indonesia wants to buy. We don’t know how the South Koreans may overcome this license problem, because HDW is working with us,’’ the official said. ‘’For us, the competition is continuing.’’

Daewoo Shipbuilding & Engineering said earlier this month that it aimed to seal a $1.1 billion agreement with the Indonesian government by November to build three submarines. The South Korean shipbuilder said in a statement that this would mark the first exports of submarines from the country.

“We have launched talks to sign a submarine contract with Indonesia’s Defense Ministry,’’ Daewoo said in a statement.

A team of Turkish and German companies and Turkey’s procurement office are also jointly seeking a contract to sell two HDW-class 209 diesel submarines to Indonesia worth about $1 billion in an offer with sweeteners against the South Korean rivals.

French and Russian companies dropped out of the bidding for the Indonesian Nay deal earlier, allowing South Korea’s Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine to emerge as the leading candidate. Daewoo was expected to bid together with HDW, but it later decided to bid on its own.

Facing the threat of being left out of the deal, HDW, a subsidiary of ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems, approached the Undersecretariat for Defense Industries (SSM), Turkey’s defense procurement agency.

Together with Turkey, HDW also is manufacturing six modern U-214 diesel submarines for the Turkish Navy. In partnership with HDW, Turkey earlier built 14 U-209 submarines, which Indonesia now wants to buy.

According korr.ARMS-TASS on the 15th anniversary of the International exhibition "Interpolitech 2011", deputy factory director Dmitri Belyakov, Rybinsk shipbuilders are made and sent to Vietnam in accordance with the approved schedule of component parts and components for the assembly of the first six missile boats " Molniya" project 12418. Manufacture of boats, which have already begun Vietnamese shipbuilders, will be under the technical supervision of construction of the development company - Central Maritime Design Bureau "Almaz" in St. Petersburg, as well as the manufacturer "Vympel -OJSC Shipbuilding" plant.

At present, Vietnam is building the first four boats. For the two boats laid hull, and two already constructed housing commissioned by installing equipment.

Deliveries of spare parts to Vietnam from Rybinsk to six boats, which began in 2010 under a contract worth 30 million dollars, will continue through 2016.

The contract for the construction of Project 12418 missile boats "Molniya" is registered option to build another 4 boats.

Translation option in the firm contract is expected after the date of Vietnam's first naval boats built by Vietnamese shipbuilders.

Under the initial contract, Northrop Grumman's Undersea Systems business unit will deliver the airborne mine-hunting system to Kawasaki Heavy Industries for integration into Japan's new Airborne Mine Countermeasures MCH-101 helicopter.

"The combination of our proven high performance, low cost and ease of integration in the MCH-101 airframe makes the AQS-24A the ideal choice for Japan's helicopter-based mine-hunting needs," said Tom Jones, vice president of Northrop Grumman's Undersea Systems business unit. "As the only operational airborne mine-hunting search system in the U.S. Navy, the AQS-24A has demonstrated very high reliability in the field with the Navy's Helicopter Mine Countermeasures squadrons."

The AQS-24A and its predecessors, the AQS-24 and the AQS-14, have been the only operational airborne mine hunting search systems used by the U.S. Navy for the past 27 years. The AQS-24A is a high speed mine-hunting system that is primarily towed from the MH-53E helicopter, but has been easily adapted to the smaller Japanese MCH-101 aircraft. With a track record of proven reliability and performance across the globe, the system's high-resolution side-scan sonar detects, localizes and classifies both bottom and moored mines in real time at high area coverage rates.

Acceptance certificates of two Project 10412 patrol ships (serial numbers 044 and 045) built for Vietnamese Navy were signed on Oct 20 at Almaz Shipbuilding Firm. These are third and fourth hulls of Project 10410 Svetlyak export version. First two ships were delivered to Vietnam in 2002.

Both ships were laid down on one day – June 26, 2009. The first hull was launched on Nov 12, 2010, and the second one on Apr 22, 2011. Trials were delayed a bit because of protractions with arms and equipment supplies. In particular, Arsenal Machinery Plant delivered gun mounts AK-176M for both ships several months behind schedule.

Having completed trial program by mid-Oct, both patrol ships were docked in the shipyard's floating dock PD-423 and prepared for marine freight. In the nearest days, the ships will be moved to St. Petersburg's sea port and embarked on a transport ship for further shipping to Vietnam.

Svetlyak hull number 045 (photo : fleetphoto)

Other two similar ships are being completed at JSC Vostochnaya Verf (Vladivostok). Both hulls (serial numbers 420 and 421) were also keel-laid on one day – July 22, 2009. According to plan, they were to be delivered till the end of 2011. Delivery dates were repeatedly postponed due to same reasons, i.e. supplies protraction of equipment including gun mounts made by Arsenal plant. Finally, the delivery deadline is set in 2012.

Project 10412 was designed on the basis of Project 10410 Svetlyak patrol ship developed by Almaz Design Bureau in late 80's for Soviet KGB Coast Guard. Since the beginning of the Svetlyak program, Almaz Shipbuilding Firm has built 16 ships for domestic and foreign customers including hulls No. 044 and 045. In total, 36 such ships have been built. Comparing to basic project, Vietnamese ships are not armed with antisubmarine weapons so can be classified as patrol crafts or gun boats.

The ships built in Russia under Vietnamese government's order will substantially enhance its national navy in potential conflicts with China and other neighbors regarding disputable areas in the South China Sea, particularly, near Spratly Archipelago and Paracel Islands. For Vietnam, those regions are of great importance from the viewpoint of oil and gas reserves and bioresources.

24 Oktober 2011

More armored personnel carrier, aircraft and sealift vessel will be bought for modernization of AFP (photo : AFP)

President Benigno Aquino III has ordered the release of P10 billion for the military’s modernization program, including P1.6 billion for new Air Force planes which will all be purchased by the end of the year.

But deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte made it clear Sunday that the release of the P10 billion for the Armed Forces of the Philippines modernization fund had nothing to do with the government’s ongoing skirmish with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).

“This (release of the P10 billion) was already in the works. It just so happened that we are releasing this money just now,” Valte told state radio dzRB when asked whether the release was connected to last week’s bloody clash between government and MILF troops in Al Barka town in Basilan that left 19 soldiers dead.

Valte said the new military equipment to be purchased was essentially for the modernization of the AFP. “It will help them do their work wherever that is.”

She said Budget Secretary Florencio Abad was now preparing the special allotment release orders for the P10 billion, adding that the money will be sourced from the appropriations of the 2010 and 2011 national budget at P5 billion each.

In a phone interview, Abad said the military had just recently finalized its shopping list because officials had to reassess it “because of recent tension in the region and concerns for territorial integrity.”

Abad said he expected the military to complete the new purchase by the end of the year.

The P10 billion will now bring to P15.3 billion the total amount released for the AFP modernization program since President Aquino took office last year.

In a statement, Abad said the amount would not only fund the purchase of new equipment but also provide training to soldiers.

From the P5-billion fund for the 2010 appropriations, Abad said the military planned to equip the Philippine Army with 14 armored personnel carriers, 272 20-man pack radios and 3,480 force protection, all amounting to P1.4 billion. The Philippine Navy will procure a P2-billion strategic sealift vessel while the Philippine Air Force will acquire one special mission aircraft and two light lift aircraft amounting to P1.6 billion.

Abad said the 2011 budget would be used by the military to purchase vehicles for civil military operations, health service and disaster response activities.

These include 32 five-ton dump trucks and 55 special purpose vehicles for the Army; two search and rescue helicopters, 30 special purpose vehicles and 15 amphibian vehicles for the Navy.

Also included on the shopping list using the 2011 budget were weapons and communication equipment, according to Abad.

The Army will get 1,376 handheld radios, 210 AV configuration radios and 100 base radios as well as 150 mortars while the Air Force will get 78 units of audio-video equipment, 160 portable radio receivers, 100 sniper rifle systems and 2,000 standard weapon systems.

A mass formation of F/A-18F Super Hornets fly's over South East Queensland. The arrival of four new F/A-18F Super Hornets at RAAF Base Amberley, Qld, completes the fleet for 1 and 6 Squadrons bringing Australia's total to 24 jets.(photo : Aus DoD)

The arrival at the base was marked by the four new Super Hornets joining 16 other RAAF F/A-18Fs for a dramatic 20-aircraft flyover.

"The Super Hornet provides a major advancement in capability for the RAAF and the entire Australian Defence Force," said RAAF Group Capt. Steve Roberton, Officer Commanding 82 Wing. "The F/A-18F employs the world’s most advanced combat radar, ensuring our forces have a clear advantage in both technology and capability, whether conducting air, ground or maritime operations.

"The Super Hornet's ability to collect and seamlessly distribute information to our other platforms is proving to be invaluable as a true force multiplier," Roberton added.

"Boeing made a commitment to the Royal Australian Air Force, and to the citizens and government of Australia, promising that these advanced Super Hornets would be ready to join the RAAF fleet on time and on budget," said Dennis Muilenburg, president and CEO of Boeing Defense, Space & Security.

"The men and women of Boeing are incredibly proud to have delivered on that promise."

"The joint efforts between Australia's Defence Materiel Organisation, the Royal Australian Air Force, the U.S. Navy and the Hornet Industry Team have been absolutely paramount in the success of this program," said Carolyn Nichols, Australian Super Hornet program manager for Boeing. "With that success, these Super Hornets, and the advanced capabilities they deliver, are now ready to meet Australia's defense requirements today and into the future."

The Australian government announced plans in March 2007 to acquire 24 advanced Block II versions of the F model Super Hornet, which features a two-person cockpit. The first five RAAF Super Hornets arrived at Amberley on March 26, 2010. Today's ceremony marks the fifth and final contracted RAAF Super Hornet delivery.

The Boeing Super Hornet is a multirole aircraft, able to perform virtually every mission in the tactical spectrum, including air superiority, day/night strike with precision-guided weapons, fighter escort, close air support, suppression of enemy air defenses, maritime strike, reconnaissance, forward air control and tanker missions. Boeing has delivered more than 470 F/A-18E/Fs to the U.S. Navy. Every Super Hornet produced has been delivered on or ahead of schedule and on budget.

Minister for Defence Materiel Jason Clare welcomed the arrival of four more Super Hornets at an official ceremony held at RAAF Base Amberley today, completing two squadrons for the Royal Australian Air Force.

The four new fighter jets will join 20 others, which will be operated by No. 1 Squadron and No. 6 Squadron of the RAAF.

Mr Clare was on-hand to welcome the four new Super Hornets to their base at RAAF Amberley.

The occasion was marked by a flight of 21 Super Hornets over northern NSW and south-east Queensland, with one of the planes flown by Chief of Air Force Air Marshal Geoff Brown.

The 24 Super Hornets have been delivered over the past two years – on budget and ahead of schedule.

The purchase of the Super Hornets will ensure Australia’s regional air combat capability until the arrival of the Joint Strike Fighter later this decade.

The Super Hornet gives the Royal Australian Air Force the capability to conduct air-to-air combat, strike targets on land and at sea, suppress enemy air defences and conduct reconnaissance.

It is an operationally proven aircraft that has been flown by the United States Navy since 2001.

The United States Navy has operated Super Hornets in Afghanistan, Iraq and Libya.

Australia is the first country outside the United States to fly the Super Hornet.Mr Clare said that this was an important day for the RAAF.

“The Super Hornets are the new front line of Australia’s Defence Force,” Mr Clare said.

“They are amongst the best fighter planes in the world – and all 24 aircraft have been delivered on budget and ahead of schedule.

“I congratulate the aircraft’s manufacturer Boeing, the Air Force and Defence for the work they have done.”

Member for Blair Shayne Neumann said that the local community also welcomed the Super Hornets.

“RAAF Amberley is a very important part of our community and we’re very proud to be the home of the Super Hornet,” Mr Neumann said.